Nicky Winmar, the former Australian Football League (AFL) player, has been convicted for assaulting a woman by dragging her by the hair and striking her head against a door. The 60-year-old athlete’s defense claimed that the woman fabricated the incident, but Magistrate Trieu Huynh concluded otherwise, finding her testimony credible and convicting Winmar on three counts.
The incident occurred on May 14, 2025, in Cohuna, located in northern Victoria. The victim, whose identity remains protected, testified that Winmar suddenly became enraged, twisting her arm, and subsequently pulling her by her hair.
Further allegations included Winmar pushing her against a wall, spitting in her face, and forcefully bashing her head against a wooden door multiple times. Although Winmar acknowledged slapping her arm, he denied any actions that would cause her to fall or any other punches thrown.
Winmar countered that the woman had struck him several times in the face. However, Magistrate Huynh ruled in favor of the woman’s account, citing her credibility during the proceedings.
The magistrate found Winmar guilty of two counts of common law assault and one count of unlawful assault, which pertained to the acts of dragging her by the hair, striking her head against a door, and grabbing her arm. He was acquitted of a fourth charge concerning intentional injury, as the magistrate determined that the woman’s reported pain did not meet the necessary legal threshold.
Following the verdict, Winmar, visibly distressed, lowered his head into his hands. A pre-sentencing hearing is scheduled for a later date. Winmar is noted for his significant contributions to Australian football, being the first Aboriginal player to reach 200 games, concluding his career with 230 matches for St Kilda and 21 for the Western Bulldogs.
Throughout his career, Winmar has been an outspoken figure against racism, famously confronting a hostile crowd in 1993 by lifting his shirt to show his skin color. He is currently co-leading a significant class action lawsuit against the AFL regarding racism in the Victorian Supreme Court.
